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Polished to Perfection
Shayne Cornaby’s gleaming steel furniture is hand-welded, hand-finished, and so meticulously rendered that the Dallas Museum of Art has furnished its corporate offices with it. They are like art, says Cornaby, who occasionally has to tone down the cube tables he makes because their beauty can overshadow the art they display. Cornaby started his furniture business, BABA Designs, in 2000 when he couldn’t find a simple, contemporary desk for his study. So, he made one himself. Friends loved it and asked him to make more, and the next thing he knew, his tables were being purchased for the set of Will & Grace, the Palms hotel in Las Vegas, and the homes of several high profile athletes and musicians in Dallas. You can buy his brushed and polished steel furniture at Scott + Cooner. 1617 Hi Line Dr., Ste. 100. 214-748-9838.
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High Society
Here, an unlikely combination of rough-hewn wood tables and velvet draperies are the backdrop for everyday necessities such as candles and soaps and more unusual, elegant glass apothecary bottles and gilt, cherub lamps. The latest hip shop to open in Uptown? Hardly. Society sits just off the square in historic downtown McKinney. But don’t let its suburban locale fool you: The upscale mercantile has a simultaneously historical and modern feel. Designers Pamela Jackson and Jeremi V. Headrick filled their store with things they love. The idea for their boutique, which opened in November 2005, emerged as clients of their firm, Jackson Vaughn, requested certain items, namely their signature candle “an oddly pleasing blend of sandalwood and basil. The ordinary can be beautiful, Headrick says. Society. 104 W. Virginia St., McKinney. 972.529.9337. CHRISTINE WILSON
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All Grown Up
Stephanie Anne, purveyor of fine accoutrements for the pampered child, has put away the cribs and blankets to focus on more mature matters. She’s kept her old space, but she’s filled it with custom lamps, chandeliers, china, and glassware, and started a wedding registry. She’s also brought in imported fabrics (available by the yard), bedding, and drapery panels. A spa and bath boutique area sells custom made vanities with hand-painted Italian glass bowls and vessels made of marble, rock, and copper; a custom line of olive oil soaps, lotions, and oils made in Italy; and handmade sleepwear. Stephanie Anne, 4346 Lovers Ln. 214-368-3025. www.stephanieanne.com.
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Blissful
Chocolate Secrets has moved from West Village to Oak Lawn Avenue, conveniently (except for those of us on diets) located very close to the D Home office. One side is devoted to bliss “handmade delights, such as a dark chocolate truffle filled with champagne or a dark chocolate center dipped in white chocolate and dusted with cocoa. The other side is indulgence “coffees from around the world, live jazz, pairing a fruit truffle bonbon from France with Spanish port, or just the right dark chocolate to go with your glass of pinot noir. Wine tastings are offered Thursday nights and light jazz sets the mood on Saturday evenings. Chocolate Secrets, 3926 Oak Lawn Ave. 214-252-9801.
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Catch of the Day
Seafood-lover Rex Bellomy’s Rex’s Seafood Market carries 14 to 20 varieties of seafood (mostly fresh, some frozen) plus ready-made soups, dips, smoked salmon, seafood salads, and signature sauces created by his manager, Jeff Rockow, formerly of Dallas City Market. Specialties: Wasabi flying fish roe, fresh tuna tartare (made-to-order and pictured at right), fresh sushi (call ahead), ceviche, and beer-can steamed pompano (call ahead). Rex’s Seafood Market. 5200 W. Lovers Ln. 214-351-6363.
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Fine Arts
You often see works by art nouveau masters Louis Comfort Tiffany and Emile Gall in museums. It’s not as often that they come up for auction. Dallas Heritage Auction Galleries, which has an online bidding web site, is offering a number of silver and glass pieces by Tiffany for sale, including a sterling silver coffee and tea set expected to fetch upwards of $25,000. A signed marquetry mural by Gall (left) is estimated to sell for as much as $200,000. Heritage Auction Galleries decorative arts auction will be held May 24 and 25 at 3500 Maple Ave., 17th floor. 800-872-6467. www.heritageauctions.com.
